Carlow County Council · September Meeting of Carlow County Council · 8 September 2025
A vote on rezoning land from agriculture to new residential as part of Proposed Variation 2 of the county development plan (the draft Muine Bheag and Royal Oak town plan). Councillors had rejected the Chief Executive's recommendation on the site.
Summary written by AI from the minutes. The motion as recorded follows.
CE Recommendation: National Policy Objective no. 101 of the National Planning Framework requires planning authorities to apply a standardised, tiered approach to zoning to differentiate between (i) zoned land that is serviced and (ii) zoned land that is serviceable within the life of the plan. It is evident that the lands are not currently serviceable and unlikely to be serviced within the remaining period of the County Development Plan 2022-2028. The future development potential of the site is therefore more likely in the medium-long term i.e. subsequent development plan period. Accordingly, it is recommended that the lands which may offer the potential to meet future development needs of the town subject to delivery of appropriate infrastructure in advance or in tandem with residential development be identified as a “Long Term Strategic and Sustainable Development Site”, subject to review in the forthcoming County Development Plan Review and subject to environmental carrying capacity considerations. The recommendation of the Chief Executive regarding the zoning submission received (CLW-C162-16 Page 46 CE Report) from Peter Bolger to rezone land from ‘Agriculture’ to ‘New Residential’, to Proposed Variation No. 2 (Draft Muine Bheag / Royal Oak District Town Plan 2025) of the Carlow County Development Plan 2022-2028. The recommendation of the Chief Executive to rezone the land from ‘Agriculture’ to ‘Long-term Strategic and Sustainable Development site’ subject to review in the forthcoming County Development Plan Review and subject to environmental carrying capacity considerations, was rejected by the elected members noting the permission currently being sought on the site, the proposals by the applicant to access wastewater infrastructure which is within the control of the applicant and the objective to improve infrastructure on Kilcarrig Bridge, the elected members agreed to rezone the land from ‘Agriculture’ to ‘New Residential’, which was:
Proposed by Cllr. D. Pender; seconded by Cllr. T. Kinsella.
The minutes record: Result 15 For, 3 Abstained Decision/Resolution: Motion Passed
| Party | Tá | Níl | Staon | Didn't vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Gael | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fianna Fáil | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sinn Féin | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Independent Ireland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Labour Party | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| People Before Profit-Solidarity | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
None
Tá, Níl and Staon are the minutes’ for, against and abstained. “Didn’t vote” covers councillors on the council that day whom the minutes don’t list under any option, for any reason. Parties are as of the meeting day.